It has been found advantageous to utilize a syringe for the oral administration of fluidic material, for example liquid medicine or food, to infant, aged or incapacitated persons and to small animals and pets, which often require the same degree of care as infants. As used herein, the term "patients" thus is intended to cover infants, aged or incapacitated persons, small animals (whether wild or being cared for by veterinarians or zoos) and domestic pets (e.g. fish, birds, reptiles and other species). Typically, such an oral dispensing device includes an elongate barrel within which is slidably disposed a reciprocating piston. The piston is reciprocated within the barrel by means of an elongate plunger, and the dispensing end of the barrel includes a tip portion through which the medication is injected into the mouth. Examples of such syringes are shown in the prior issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,572,337 and 4,127,126, of George J. Schunk. In addition, conventional syringes in which the hypodermic needles or catheters have been removed have been commonly used to orally administer liquid medicine to such patients.
Heretofore, when it has been desired to administer liquid medicine to such patients, the tip of the syringe has been inserted into the patient's mouth and the medicine was injected by depressing the plunger, whereby the medicine is forceably passed from the barrel through the tip at a rate that is essentially controlled by the force exerted by the user on the plunger.
The foregoing prior art standard oral dosing syringes required forceful opening of the patient's mouth in order to allow the medication to be introduced, causing rejection by the patient and spilling of the medication, and often required the patient to be restrained during the administration of the medication. In addition, the high rate of speed of injection employed often caused the patient, particularly infant children, to gag or choke during the administration of the medication.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved oral dosing syringe for use with patients, who may be infants, aged or incapacitated persons, animals or other pets, which syringe allows medication or fluidic foods to be dispensed safely, carefully and in a controlled manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an oral dosing syringe having a cannula at the dispensing end thereof which is of such size and shape as to provide a feeding surface for patients to suck on and draw medicine, food, or the like, from the syringe.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved oral dosing syringe having a nipple-like cannula at the dispensing end thereof which is provided with a metered dispensing aperture therein to prevent the flow of medication or food from the syringe at a rate high enough to cause gagging of the patient.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.